Barony of Ackford, 17 degrees northwest of Akeli village, 35 kilometers away, Floran village.
The sun's light gradually dimmed. During the summer service, the muddy roads frequently trampled by humans and animals became more muddy, and it became more difficult to find a solid ground.
Compared with most of the rough and frizzy mud-legged people in the village, their ancestors have been cowherds for generations, Alves/Antoine, and his son Dean/Antoine are somewhat educated, not far from the residence of the master He stopped after a dozen or so steps, and stood neatly where the inferior people should stand, without stepping on the ground where they should not be.
Because of this, Baird/Barron, the master in charge of the village of Floran, made an exception and did not serve another cup after eating the unimaginable sumptuous dinner of two bowls of mush and three eggs. The dark beer that had had time to go rancid stood up benevolently.
"master."
"master."
The figure of the steward appeared at the door, and Alves and his son Dean hurriedly took off their hoods and bowed deeply.
"Well, get up..." Frowning and looking at the mud-stained wooden shoes of the cowherd and his son, the steward walked slowly to the side of the road: "Alves, you have been waiting for a long time... you will find the messenger as soon as he enters the village Why are you watching so closely, are you afraid that the sheep you brought over a few days ago will be given away in vain?"
"No, no, how dare... No one in the village knows that the master never cheats..." Alves raised his head, and the flattery he was trying to squeeze out on his face was somewhat sincere.
Alves pulled the rope vigorously while talking, and the two goats immediately bleated and protested, "I just want to send the other two animals here as soon as possible, sir, you know, there are too many days." One day, these two beasts will have to eat another day of fodder."
"Hahaha..." The steward laughed, "Okay, okay, Alves, you cunning miser, you don't have to guess what I mean so carefully! I have already discussed with the agricultural officer about your matter. Say it! The master already knows! Your son..."
Speaking of this, Master Baird/Barron turned his head to look at the eldest son of the cowherd in Floran Village: "Your son, little Dean! When the brightest star in the sky disappears tomorrow, lucky little Dean Then you can go to Akeli Village."
"Ah..." This time, the surprise smile on Alves' face was no longer a disguise, and he quickly patted his son's back with his rough palm: "Thank you so much! Hurry... thank the steward!"
"Well, that's enough..." Waving his hands to stop the cowherd and the cowherd's son from bowing down to thank him, Baird suddenly sighed and pointed to the two goats that Alves was holding: "These two Take the goats back first."
"Ah...how is this possible! This...this is our family's thanks! Master, you must accept it!"
"Hey, don't think so well! I didn't say I don't want it!"
Baird sighed again: "... Alas, Alves, cunning Alves, stingy Alves, I really fell for you this time!"
"Do you know how many people have hired agricultural officers for the work of cowherd helpers in Akeli village this time? Thirteen villages! Thirteen villages! Well, I know you don't know how to count, so let me tell you , Thirteen villages, which means that all the villages of Master Ackford, all the villages, every village, want their cowherds to work for Ross/Moore!"
"Ah..." Alves opened his eyes wide, dumbfounded.
"What are you two sheep?" Baides curled his lips, "In order to help... well, in fact, to get the craft of curing cattle, Darcy Village got three jars of honey from no one knows where, Bazel Village even Willing to give a cow!
"Ah..." Alves' eyes widened.
"Fortunately, Mr. Barrett... well, Mr. Farmer is very fair. He knows that I don't usually lie, and he also knows that your family's work of taking care of livestock is really good. Little Dean is lucky! Let your family go this time." ,but… "
Baird pointed to the two goats again: "The farm officer is fair, that's his kindness! We can't just pretend that we don't know anything like this! Take these two goats back first... Let's go together again when the tax is paid in autumn. Send it to the farm officer's house... um... and my two remaining goats, let's take care of them with you first, so that you won't worry about my pasture all day long!"
"what… "
"Well... Alves, it seems that you are not happy..."
"No, no, I am very happy! I am very willing! I am as happy as the big sun at noon! Master, don't worry, I will feed the goats of you and the farmer's master every day!"
"Well... Alves, do a good job. You do things with your heart. That's what I told the farm officer... Well, Dean, you should work hard too. When you arrive at the village of Akeli, you need to listen to Ross/Moore If so, Floran Village is still counting on you..."
"Yes... yes, thank you, master, and I will definitely obey your orders." Alves hastily pulled his son and bowed to thank him.
"Well... so be it." Baird waved his hand, benevolently letting the inferior person in front of him go about his own work.
"Thank you, master." Pulling his son and the goat, Alves bent down deeply again, and put his hood back on with his son after walking a long way.
————
The sun fell completely behind the mountain, and the thick night covered the earth, and the tall and spacious house of the steward also fell far behind.
"The steward's two goats, the agricultural officer's two goats, and the two goats that were sent over a few days ago. There are so many less livestock in the family, and there will be much less cheese this winter." Stepping on the log ferry When crossing the stream, Little Dean suddenly said so.
"Yeah." Father nodded and responded vaguely.
"There are still a few days to finish the summer service, and the work in autumn is also very heavy. If I leave, those jobs will be even more difficult." When passing by the old Cole's land, little Dean spoke again.
"Yeah." Father nodded and responded vaguely.
"The wasteland on the mountain has not yet been leveled, and the ditch in front of the house is silted up. Father, there is still a lot of work left for me..." When crossing the thorny thorns near the carpenter's house, little Dean There is a new question.
"Yeah." Father nodded and responded vaguely.
"Do you really want to do this?" His own house was already visible, and time was tight, so Dean gave up his plan to knock on the side: "Father, I don't understand...why should I go to Akeli Village? It's good to be a helper Is it? The small amount of wheat saved at home, I can get it back in one summer... "
This time, my father didn't even answer "um".
After walking silently for a long time, walking through the long field ridges of my own land, standing at the fork in the way home, my father suddenly said: "This is the second time I have sent sheep to the steward..."
"Huh?" Dean had never heard of it.
"When I delivered the sheep for the first time..." the father stopped and looked his son up and down: "I am about the same age as you are now."
"This is the first time to deliver sheep?" Dean looked at his father suspiciously. "Father has also delivered sheep before? Why?"
"Why..." the father sighed deeply, and instead of answering his son's question directly, he pointed to a wooden house not far away: "Did you see that wooden house? Do you know who it is?"
"Of course I know." The village is only so big, and Dean knows almost every family in the village.
What's more, the location that father pointed at at this moment was Dean's relative: "This is uncle's house, what's wrong with you, father?"
"Yeah...it's your uncle's house..." Father patted the big tree beside him lightly, and suddenly grabbed the air with his left hand quickly, and when he opened it again after a while, a firefly whose tail flickered on and off Spinning circles leisurely in his palm.
"When I was younger and your uncle was younger, we would come here at this time of summer night, catch a lot of these bugs, and put them in small straw cages until my mother called Many times before going home."
Dean couldn't help but smile on his face.
As the sons of a cowherd family, Dean and Dean's younger brother are one of the very few children in the village who can have "play" time when they were young. The situation described by the father at this moment is exactly what Dean and Dean's younger brother used to enjoy. game.
The father said again: "I was so happy at that time, I always wanted to keep playing... and I always felt that the good life would go on like this day by day, until... until--Dean, your uncle's house is like this now, do you think he is doing well? ?”
"Uh... Compared with other free people, it's not bad, right?"
"Yeah, it's affordable! It's affordable, even better than other free people!" The smile on Alves' face was full of bitterness: "How many people can't get enough by planting all the wheat, and you Uncle... and two other uncles' houses, both of which can make room for peas and cabbages, and the occasional pumpkin leaf..."
Speaking of this, Alves pointed to his family's wooden house, "What about us? Look at our house. After the master's tax, we can always keep a few geese, and even a sheep when we are lucky. Not to mention wheat, you and your brother have never been hungry... Do you know why this is?"
"...Because father, you are a cowherd..."
"Your uncle also raises cattle, and so do your other uncles. Why am I a cowherd? Aren't they?"
"This..." The son never thought about this question carefully, or in other words, never got an answer from his father.
"Because, father... on the night when my father suddenly fell into the water and died, when your uncles were still crying, arguing, and fighting for farm tools, I, the eldest son of the first separated family, immediately Take all the livestock in the family - three sheep, two geese, and a few chickens, and give them all to the steward...
... That's when I first sent cattle to the steward, and then... Then, I became a cowherd. "
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